BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – At least seven individuals thus far have formally announced campaign plans to run for Bexar County’s top prosecutor position.
The seat will open following the end of the current DA Joe Gonzales’ tenure, who announced in June 2025 that he would not seek reelection.
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Here are the seven candidates who have put their names in for the seat so far.
Luz Elena Chapa
Former Fourth Court of Appeals Judge Luz Elena Chapa announced her plans to run for the seat as a Democrat on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
Former Texas State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte is serving as her campaign treasurer, according to a news release.
Most recently, Chapa served as a visiting judge for the Fourth Administrative Judicial Region.
“This is important and personal to me,” Chapa said. “I live and work here; I’m raising my family here, and I care deeply about public safety and a strong, safe community. I have the experience to get the job done, having been a civil litigator and an appellate judge.
Shannon Locke
Locke, a longtime criminal defense attorney, announced his plans to run for the seat as a Democrat on Thursday, Nov. 20.
“This office belongs to the people, not to politicians,” Locke said in a news release. “In every courthouse hallway and every neighborhood I walk, I hear the same thing: people want a justice system that is firm, fair, and focused on solving problems, not scoring headlines. That’s the kind of District Attorney I intend to be.”
Ashley Foster
Foster, who filed as a Republican, made her campaign announcement on a Nov. 8 Facebook post.
“I’m running to make our community safer, our system fairer, and our future brighter,” the post stated. “This campaign is about all of Bexar County — every neighborhood, every family, every voice."
Meli Carrión Powers
Carrión Powers, a prosecutor with more than two decades of experience, announced her Democratic candidacy on Oct. 23. She currently serves as the Chief of the Family Violence Division of the Bexar County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
“For over two decades, I have been standing shoulder-to-shoulder with victims, I have fought for children who have been abused, survivors of domestic violence, and families shattered by violent crime,” she said. “I know exactly what is at stake when we fail to prosecute dangerous offenders effectively.”
Veronica Legaretta
Legaretta, a Democrat who was one of the earliest candidates to file for the race, announced her intent to run on Oct. 17.
She previously served as a prosecutor with the Bexar County District Attorney’s office and as a criminal defense attorney.
“We have not had a female District Attorney in Bexar County since former D.A. Susan Reed and have never had a female Hispanic District Attorney in Bexar County”, Legarreta stated. “I think it’s about time for fresh eyes and a fresh perspective to solve, strategize, and eliminate the problems and issues that have existed in the Bexar County District Attorney’s office. Sometimes you need a woman to get the job done and that is exactly what I intend to do.”
Oscar Salinas
Salinas filed to run for Bexar County district attorney on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
“I filed today because Bexar County needs a District Attorney who understands what victims and families go through in real time,” Salinas said. “People deserve clear answers. They deserve timely updates. They deserve a justice system that does not leave them in the dark. My focus is communication, accountability, and rebuilding trust.”
Salinas graduated from the University of Texas School of Law. In a news release, he said his priorities include improving office morale and strengthening internal culture.
Meredith Chacon
Chacon announced her candidacy to run for Bexar County District Attorney in a Tuesday, Dec. 9, news release.
“Chacon says she is running to fix a District Attorney’s Office plagued by backlogs, low morale, and instability,” the release said. “She is committed to restoring professionalism, improving efficiency, and putting families and victims first.”
The release also said that Chacon has more than 22 years of courtroom experience as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney.
The last day to file to run for Bexar County DA was on Dec. 8.
Jason Wolff
Jason Wolff, the nephew of former Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, is running for the seat as an Independent.
Wolff graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio and received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, according to his bio on the Calfas Law Group’s website.
Wolff was elected in 2010 as a Republican to serve as the Judge of Bexar County Court at Law 2. He held that seat until 2018, when Democrat Grace Uzomba unseated him by about 13 percentage points. He ran unsuccessfully for that seat again in 2022.
He worked as a Bexar County Assistant District Attorney for more than a decade, according to his online bio.
Jane Davis
Davis, currently the chief of the juvenile sections of the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, is running for the seat as a Democrat.
She previously served as a prosecutor in Bexar County for 28 years, according to a Bexar County website.
James “Jim” Bethke
Bethke is running for the seat as a Democrat. A Bexar County website lists him as the executive director of the managed assigned counsel.
The group “is responsible for the assignment of qualified attorneys to represent criminally-accused indigent people in Bexar County,” the website said.
Editor’s note: KSAT has added additional candidates and context to this article.
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